C-47 D-Day Flight Experience

It was awesome I had a great time.

Very good. They tried very hard to make it as realistic as possible.

AMAZING to say the least.

This is a great experience for a WWII buff. It really made me appreciate what a Paratrooper in the 101st Airborne had to go through.

I received this experience as a gift. It was a great day for a flight and the C-47 flew like a dream. I'm looking forward to the possibility of hopping on the B-17 in the future. The crew and the re-enactors/historians were knowledgeable and fun. I've spent time with WWII Paratroopers of the 517th PRCT by attending their reunions, and it was a thrill to experience the plane that they trained in and eventually jumped from into combat 70 years ago. It is such a great tribute to their memory to keep the planes flying and the living history alive. I have no complaints about my experience but I do have two suggestions/ideas. Looking at the group that flew with me on that morning, I noticed that most were adults between the ages early 30s to around 60. No young men. I can understand that it might be cost prohibitive for a young person, but from an historic standpoint I think it is important that the younger generation is made aware of the experiences and sacrifices of this country's veterans. I've noticed that many young people have little or no knowledge of WWII and it's significance. Nor do they have any interest. Maybe there could be an offer of father & son/daughter package deals. During pre-flight, the organizers handed out cards with the identity of a real Paratrooper and the destiny of that Paratrooper. We were instructed to hold these cards and not view them until we were back on the ground. I thought this was a great idea. I thought it might be interesting for the guide on the flight to have a more in depth biography of the trooper you are representing. While in flight, the guide could sit across from you and tell you the trooper's history and put you in his boots. For example, the guide could say, "The date is June 6 1944. Your name is Private Timothy Robbins from Reading, PA. You are 18 years old and you are a Paratrooper with the 101st Airborne. Before the flight you signed insurance papers. It's early in the morning, pitch black, and you've been told you have a one in two chance of surviving. Some of your buddies will perish -- some even before they jump since soon German flak will fill the sky. Tracers are ripping past the fuselage. Engines will slow to jump speed (although some didn't). Soon you will hear the command to "Stand up!" - "Hook up!" - The red light will change to green, and you will run for the door and out into the night sky. You've done this before in training but this time there is live fire and the enemy is waiting for you on the ground. The descent to the ground feels like an eternity. Suspended above the earth you witness a site that only you and those like you will share. This night of nights a young man descends from the sky into one of this country's most historic moments. The destiny of this battle is the destiny of the free world..." Something to put the rider in the moment...then at the end of the flight you could finish the story of the said Paratrooper... and so on. Just an idea. If a youngster could experience the flight and imagine himself in a young Paratrooper's boots 70 years ago, then maybe he will be encouraged to learn more and this most important chapter in history will stay alive. Thanks again. Looking forward to another flight someday.